Seattle boating enthusiasts are used to headwinds. But many faced more blowback than expected Tuesday after City Council members nixed a critical Magnuson Park lease agreement aimed at saving their recreation programs.

"This 50-year contract is not in the best interests of the public," City Councilman Tom Rasmussen, chairman of the Parks Committee, told about 130 people packed into the council chambers. "We need to renegotiate a more favorable lease."

Supporters of the contract, which sought a 50-year lease and other terms that raised council members' eyebrows, packed the council chambers, speaking and waving photographs.

The lease agreement had been negotiated between the group, Building 11 LLC, representatives from the Mayor's Office and the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation.

Bill Fuller, a Seattle architect and Sail Sand Point board member, was among those urging the pact's passage.

"Rejecting the contract could mean these programs are no longer available to the public,," said Fuller, who along with Seattle developer Darrell Vange and builder Chris Raftery formed Building 11 LLC three years ago.

The group had lined up investors, proposing to renovate the aging building and lease out the space to a combination of market-rate and non-profit tenants including offices, restaurants, a child care and aquatic recreation programs.

Fuller said the group would have to "take a hard look" at the math to address renegotiation.

"There were issues that gave the council heartburn that we may actually have some flexibility on," Fuller said. "But because this is a privately funded deal, we have to go back to our lenders; they're the ones who set the criteria ... they're the ones who take the risks."

Many, including Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher, said the issue was urgent because of the 1929-vintage building's deteriorating condition.

Boating enthusiasts said they need the building to house equipment, offices, classrooms, and repair shops -- and doubt the city has the money to renovate it.

Some supporters brought their kids, including one grade school girl who leaned into the microphone and said, "Please save our programs. People are really upset."

The meeting ran over three hours because of the number of those wanting to testify. Many of the speakers drew applause, noting that programs like Sail Sand Point offer low-cost boating lessons and rentals to kids and adults who could never afford to join a yacht club.

Council members got the message, but held firm. They voted unanimously not to approve the agreement, instead deciding to hire a real estate consultant to represent the city in new negotiations.

"This isn't about the (boating) programs, it's about the deal," said councilwoman Jan Drago. "No business person who owns property would sign this contract. We are stewards of the city's land; that is our job."

Chief among council concerns was the contract's unusual 50-year length, and a clause that would allow Building 11 LLC to sell to a "third party" after the first 10 years of the contract.

The latter request, council members indicated, was particularly onerous, since there appeared to be nothing in contract language to permit a third party from turning the entire enterprise into a for-profit venture for higher rents. That would jeopardize such non-profits as Sail Sand Point, council members pointed out.

"I want to make sure," Rasmussen said, "that the area doesn't turn into an office park." He added that existing covenants, put in place when the land was sold decades ago to the city by the U.S. Navy, require that the site be used for parks and recreational uses, and that boating activities "are exactly what the city wants to keep there."

"Regardless of the best intentions, what matters is what's in writing," Rasmussen said. "I'm very concerned about the lack of clarity with the contract terms."

He added that the city does have money to put toward building renovations, citing $5.4 million in REET (Real Estate Excise Tax) funding.

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In a separate but related action, the seven council members attending approved a 20-year contract for a private group to develop a tennis facility at Magnuson Park.